2026 Gustaf Adolf medallists named at Uppsala University

Recipients of the Elder Gustaf Adolf Medal in gold

Former Adviser to the Vice-Chancellor on Good Research Practice Stefan Eriksson was appointed to that role at Uppsala University in 2021. In his capacity as Advisor, Stefan has played a very important strategic role, having responsibility for supporting, developing and coordinating the University’s work with matters of research ethics.

An important part of the role has also been to provide direct advisory support to the University management, the faculties and departments, and to help strengthen and anchor working with good research practice throughout the organisation. Through his committed, skilled, and loyal efforts, Stefan has been instrumental in strengthening quality and integrity in the University’s research. His long-standing commitment to ethics has made him a leading voice in research ethics at Uppsala University and nationally.

Professor Anna Singer has made significant contributions to Uppsala University in a number of different positions and capacities. Anna Singer earned her Bachelor of Laws degree in 1982, defended her thesis in law in 2000 on the topic of parenthood in the light of the law, was admitted as a docent in 2005, and was installed in 2011 as a professor of private law – all at Uppsala University, where she has been a student, teacher and researcher. Anna Singer has an extensive publication list that includes monographs as well as anthology chapters and articles in scholarly journals published in Sweden and internationally. Her publications deal with key themes in family law such as parenthood, inheritance and, above all, the rights of the child.

As Deputy Vice-Rector of the Disciplinary Domain of Humanities and Social Sciences for six years from 2014 to 2020, she contributed actively and meritoriously, not only to the internationalisation efforts at the University, but also to the establishment of the Centre for Integrated Research on Culture and Society (CIRCUS) which became something of a jewel in the crown of the disciplinary domain. Most recently, Anna Singer has held the position of Dean of the Faculty of Law during the period 2020 to 2026, which may be regarded as very long and entirely in keeping with the description of the Hedlinger Medal’s purpose.

Professor Karl Michaëlsson is rewarded for his long-term, outstanding and very extensive inquiry and management work for the development of research and research infrastructures at all levels of the University, as Vice-Dean and most recently as Adviser to the Vice-Chancellor on Research Infrastructure. His work is imbued with gravity, responsibility, scientific rigour, great empathy and a genuine interest in hearing everyone’s views, all of which have contributed greatly to the success of his efforts, which have been of great benefit to the University.

Karl Michaëlsson is a prominent researcher in epidemiology specialising in the importance of diet and lifestyle for bone health and diseases of older age. During his long academic career, he has made pioneering contributions that have been of great importance nationally as well as internationally, and that have had an important impact in that government agencies have made changes in dietary advice and fortification of foods based on his research.

Professor Lina von Sydow defended her doctoral thesis in 1995 and is a professor at the Department of Information Technology. She was head of that department from 2018 to 2023. During her time as its head, the Department of Information Technology grew, and during the pandemic under Lina von Sydow’s leadership, significant efforts were made to meet the increased need for education. Lina von Sydow has also worked actively for equal opportunities and to attract more women to study programmes and teaching positions in information technology.

For many years, Lina von Sydow has contributed to the work of the Faculty and the University as a member of the Faculty Board, chair of the Programme Board of Programmes in Computer Science and Electronics, Vice-Dean for Education, and in her current assignment as a section dean for mathematics and computer science and programme coordinator for the Master’s Programme in Engineering Physics, She has also involved herself in the Faculty’s working groups, most recently in the work with widening participation, and work with department funding.

Recipients of the Elder Gustaf Adolf Medal (Hedlinger Medal) in silver

Anna Clemensson, Operations Development Officer, has had a long and successful career at Uppsala University and started her employment at the University Administration in 1997 at the Education and Research Agency. She has since been employed in various positions at the Office of the Vice-Chancellor, the Office of the University Management, and the Planning Department. In these positions, Anna Clemensson has worked closely with the University management and has collaborated with many different parts of the University, including departments as well as the University Administration.

Over the years, Anna Clemensson has had a great variety of different tasks and worked with many key issues for universities such as rules of procedure, internal governance and control and the merger with the university on Gotland. For a long time, Anna Clemensson has been involved in building up operations development at the University and has coordinated and supported a number of University-wide development projects. More recently, Anna Clemensson has made very important efforts to establish and launch UUniFI. Through her solid experience, her professional approach, her social skills and great integrity, she has been a greatly appreciated colleague in all areas of the University.

Johan Ahlenius